Truss Bracket

ABSTRACT

A dual use or a single use bracket adapted to be mounted on the truss includes an inverted U-shaped portion to mount on the truss, an outward extending portion to connect to the inverted U-shaped portion to mount a shelf. The inverted U-shaped portion is adapted to mount to a floor member, and the duel use bracket includes a flap to mount to the floor member. The outward extending portion includes an aperture for a bolt, and the outward extending portion includes a nut. The inverted U-shaped portion includes a first flap on a front side and a second flap on the back side of the inverted U-shaped portion.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to shelving and, moreparticularly, to a bracket or fixed width shelf support structuresmounted to roof trusses.

BACKGROUND ART

A roof truss is typically employed in the construction of roofs forsingle, multi-family homes, storage facility or business. The trussincludes a plurality of bottom chords such as which are joinedend-to-end with nail connector plates. The bottom chords extendcontinuously to define a floor joist secured, in a conventional manner,to beams distributed at prescribed intervals as required by governmental(e.g., county) code.

The upper extent of the truss is defined by oppositely inclined raftersjoined at their upper ends with a nail connector plate to define an apexof the roof truss. The lower ends of the rafters are respectivelyconnected to opposite ends of the joist with nail connector plates todefine left and right heels, respectively.

A plurality of substantially identical roof trusses is then mounted tothe beam at regularly spaced intervals. Continuous lateral supportbetween the roof trusses is provided in a known manner by means ofplywood sheathing secured to the upper surfaces of the top chordmembers.

The resulting attic space defined between the joists and the rafters istypically accessed through an attic door with a foldable stairwaymounted within the joist system in a known manner or for an unfinishedgarage access may only be available through the joist system. Thehomeowner and sometimes the builder will loosely place or secure sheetsof plywood or other lumber material on the top surfaces of the bottomchords so that the attic space may be used for storage. This tends to bean inefficient usage of the attic storage space since the onlyconventionally available “shelf” storage surface is the attic floordefined by and between the joists. Often, items to be stored are strewnabout the attic floor in a haphazard manner or more typically piled ontop of each other immediately adjacent the attic door, making finding orrelocating of stored objects very difficult if not impossible.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,626 to Roberts discloses a hanging shelf system thatis secured to the joists by drilling a hole through the bottom surfaceof the joist. However, by drilling a ¾ inch hole for hanging rods intothe truss that could be only 1½ inches thick, the truss is significantlyweakened.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,790 to Fetzer discloses a preassembled shelf unitthat includes a pair of self support members connected to each otherwith wooden connectors.

SUMMARY

It is accordingly one object of the present invention to moreeffectively utilize unfinished space within constructed buildings forstorage purposes.

Another object is to increase the storage space within unfinished floorspace by allowing for easy installation of flooring mountable toportions of adjacent roof trusses.

Still a further object is to provide for a bracket for a verticallyspaced fixed width shelving support units thereby being easilypositionable and mountable onto opposing surfaces of portions ofadjacent roof trusses.

A dual use or a single use bracket adapted to be mounted on the trussincludes an inverted U-shaped portion to mount on the truss, an outwardextending portion to connect to the inverted U-shaped portion to mount ashelf.

The inverted U-shaped portion is adapted to mount to a floor member, andthe duel use bracket includes a flap to mount to the floor member.

The outward extending portion includes an aperture for a bolt, and theoutward extending portion includes an affixed nut.

The inverted U-shaped portion includes a first flap on a front side anda second flap on the back side of the inverted U-shaped portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a bracket of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a view of the front of the bracket of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a view of the side of the bracket of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a view of the back of the bracket of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the bracket 100 which includesan inverted U shaped portion 102 and an outward extending portion 104.The inverted U-shaped portion 102 and the outward extending portion 104may be made from stamped rigid material, may be welded or attach by anysuitable means. The inverted U-shaped portion 102 includes a top section106 and a pair of side sections 108 which extend from the top section106. The outward extending portion 104 extends from the bottom edge ofone of the side sections 108 substantially perpendicular to the sidesection 108. Each side section 108 includes one or more flaps 110 (FIG.1 illustrates a pair of flaps 110) which is outwardly extending at anacute angle from the side section 108. The flap 110 has been separatedfrom the side section 108 at the top edge 112 and the side edges 114 butremains affixed to the side section 108 at the bottom of the flap. Theflap 110 works in cooperation with a second flap 111 on a second bracketon a substantially parallel and opposing truss to support a flooringmember 120 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The outward extending portion 104includes an aperture 126 which may be centered to cooperate with a bolt122 which is connected to a shelving system (not shown). Consequently,the bracket 100 of the present invention is a dual use bracket or asingle use bracket. One single use can be used to support the shelvingsystem. Another single use could be to support the flooring memberseparately. The present invention as a duel use bracket could be used tosupport the shelving system and the flooring member together. FIG. 3additional illustrates a pair of trusses 128 which are substantiallyparallel for mounting the bracket 100 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the front side of the bracket 100 of the presentinvention showing the bolt 122 to the shelving system (not shown) and anut 124 which may be affixed to the outward extending portion 104 or maybe not directly connected to the outward extending portion 104.

FIG. 4 illustrates a back side of the bracket 100 showing a pair ofopposing flaps 110 to the flaps 110 on the front side of the bracket100.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by wayof example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It shouldbe understood, however, that the description herein of specificembodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particularforms disclosed.

1. A dual use bracket adapted to be mounted on the truss, comprising: aninverted U-shaped portion to mount on the truss; an outward extendingportion to connect to the inverted U-shaped portion to mount a shelf;wherein said the inverted U-shaped portion is adapted to mount to afloor member.
 2. A dual use bracket adapted to be mounted on the trussas in claim 1, wherein the duel use bracket includes a flap to mount thefloor member.
 3. A dual use bracket adapted to be mounted on the trussas in claim 1, wherein the outward extending portion includes anaperture for a bolt.
 4. A dual use bracket adapted to be mounted on thetruss as in claim 3, wherein the outward extending portion includes anaffixed nut.
 5. A dual use bracket adapted to be mounted on the truss asin claim 1, wherein said inverted U-shaped portion includes a first flapon a front side and a second flap on the back side of the invertedU-shaped portion.